Environment & Climate Change Environment & Climate Change Team Number: 2 Team Number: 2 Daniel Lessing Ben Harris Anna Buglaeva Jackson Weaver BHDP Architecture Citrix Aquicore Bank of America
Environment & Climate Change Environment & Climate Change Team Number: 2 Team Number: 2 Our Process: 1. Create MIRO Board to Collaborate on the impacts COVID is having on Real Estate within 3 Categories a. New Construction b. Building Operation c. People Operation 2. Deep dive on the ENVIRONMENTAL and CLIMATE CHANGE shifts and asking “WHY, WHY, WHY” a. Long Term Decrease in Office Space b. Shift to the Employee Home c. Internal Air Quality Issues d. Increase in Water Use e. Change in Commute and Public Transportation f. Single Use Everything 3. Breakdown the problem? a. HOW CAN THIS SHIFT SUPPORT MY SUSTAINABILITY GOALS??? b. HOW COULD THIS SHIFT HURT MY SUSTAINABILITY GOALS???
Long-term Decrease in Office Demand Empty offices and excess real estate Clean and healthy office space is a MUST Re-building for the new normal Many workers will not return to offices which leaves excess Select workers who must return to the office Excess real estate, open floor layout and the Challenges unused real estate that will need to be sold or repurposed. will impose higher requirements for office shift to meeting venues over workspaces will cleanliness necessitating increase in cleaning require us to redesign and rebuild existing protocol and ventilation. portfolio. Recommendation Efficient Operations to Safely Decommission Strike a balance: Quality Over Quantity Summary Reduce Waste & Spend Offices Safety - Environmental Impact • Set the tone for what the ‘new normal’ will be. Focus on long- • Don’t compromise on safety in an effort for • Create a new work schedule that term reduced occupancy in offices. sustainability and make sure employees incorporates those that can and cannot • Change operating hours. With fewer workers utilizing the aware of priorities. work from home to promote positive • Reduce use of excessive chemicals to office, morning start up and evening shut down times should culture and balance fluctuating demand for be adjusted. preserve health and safety of employees space. • Collaborate with engineering/MEP to identify ideal locations and equipment. • While redesigning workspace spend time Recommendations for employee workstations. Keep safe distances in mind, • Encourage clean desk policy to allow for focusing on how much space is needed locate workstations in a way that allows a reduction in the frequent deep cleaning yet no need for based on the future schedule. equipment needed to serve those areas. repeat/excessive cleaning • Invest more into quality of space as it will • Prepare a plan to permanently repurpose or decommission • Allow enough time between shifts/cleaning be smaller than before. unused areas keeping energy consumption in mind and and when space is going to be utilized • Provide specific office hours guidelines to juxtaposed to life safety. again, going back to updating operating avoid unexpected occupancy or wasting • Implement IoT solutions for remote monitoring of your real hours. conditioned office space. estate to keep a tight grip on emissions and spend. Key Takeaway : COVID-19 has created a permanent behavior change on our workers, prepare your offices space for reduced demand and increased safety requirements.
Shift to Employee Home Responsibility Transfer Tracking and Data Acquisition Challenges As workers transition to working from home and office real estate winds down, there will be Tracking impact will need to incorporate the efficiency of the an increase in pressure to manage sustainability that is out of corporation’s control. individual in addition to the corporation. In addition, homes are significantly less efficient than offices. Recommendation Create an Incentive Program Update Sustainability Plan Devise a Plan for Data Acquisition Summary • Reallocate capital from sustainability and real estate to create financial incentive • Require data sharing through the incentive programs to help programs for workers who are interested in incorporating efficiency upgrades into their acquire and centralize data needed to evaluate carbon footprint. homes • Collect data via surveys, isolate consumption to employee specific • Consider similar strategies to corporations adding EV charging stations and offering activities to determine impact Recommendations preferential parking and free charging as an incentive to purchase an electric car. • Balance privacy and anonymity when acquiring private and • With continued rise in home delivery incorporate, transportation and fuel into your personal data. sustainability effort. • Consider higher level of scrutiny regarding personal data • Refer to waste strategies to combat an increase in package waste. compared to corporate data. Key Takeaway : Your sustainability strategy will have to change as responsibility shifts to the individual employee. Consider incentive programs to help employees make the right choice.
Internal Air Quality Issues Geothermal Loops CO2 Monitoring Cause: Internal Air Quality requirements (quantity of outside air, filtration, proper distribution) will increase due to a focus on Healthy Buildings Effect: Mechanical HVAC Systems will need to be upgraded to align with IAQ standards. Underfloor Air System Challenges: HVAC System upgrades are very costly and typically the ROI is not there if the system is only being replaced to support sustainability goals. HIGHLY EFFICIENT HVAC SYSTEMS COUPLED WITH GEOTHERMAL CAN SAVE 30-40% ENERGY! Key Takeaway : If HVAC system is being replaced / renovated due to IAQ requirements, this is a great opportunity to also upgrade the HVAC system to a much more sustainable design. (add specificity on systems)
Increase in Water Usage Energy Star Rated Cause: Low Flow Hands Rainwater Harvest As people return to the office, there will be an Free Fixtures increase in cleaning and hand washing. Effect: Water usage will increase within the buildings. Challenges: How to counterbalance the water increase to continue support of Corporate Water Usage Goals? Up to 25% Flow Up to 50% Flow reduction!! reduction!! Key Takeaway : Going hands free? Install low-flow fixtures. Utilize rainwater harvesting for flush water / cleaning water
Impact on Commuting Before After COVID-19 pandemic has opened eyes across the world to dangers and reignited focus of existential climate change threat ▪ Drastic reduction in travel has resulted in immediate environmental benefits with noticeably cleaner air as seen in viral photos of a clear Los Angeles skyline. Researchers in New York have also found that carbon monoxide has reduced by nearly 50% compared to last year due to reduced commuting & self-isolation (1) ▪ With increased reliance on remote work for the foreseeable future, fewer commuters allows an opportunity for the planet to continue to heal with variables being: Encourage environmentally friendly commute alternatives such as walking and biking. ▪ Partners with sales to evaluate whether your organization can successfully sell via virtual meetings instead of in person ▪ which requires travel. Get involved with IT to remove barriers for virtual meetings, events and conferences to reduce travel and commuting ▪ Partner with marketing to encourage virtual events and exhibitions in place of in person ones. ▪ Take a greater consideration for office locations which may be convenient for workers to access by foot or bike. ▪ Key Takeaway : As we exit the pandemic world, evaluate your travel habits and see how you can continue to minimize use of vehicles. 1. Source: JLL, The Future Workplace, April 2020
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